Background and recent advances in the locata terrestrial positioning and timing technology

Abstract

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is the most widely used Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technology in the world today, but it suffers some major constraints. Locata is a terrestrial PNT technology that can be considered as a type of localised “constellation”, which is able to provide high-accuracy PNT coverage where GNSS cannot be used. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review of the Locata technology and its applications. It seeks to answer questions, such as: (1) What is Locata and how does it work? (2) What makes Locata unique compared with other terrestrial positioning systems? (3) How has Locata been used in different applications for accurate PNT? (4) What are the current challenging issues that may restrict its further adoption for custom-grade navigation in urban environments?.